Message in a Bottle
by JeffC FTW
Summary: Happiness existed only to not last, continuing in an endless cycle of life and death. The Uchiha family and their friends are among to endure this torture. Warning: character death and angst.


**"His Chosen Bride" is done, so are a couple other short stories unrelated but has the same pairing, and this idea came to me when KHB123 said she'd love it if I'd do another ItaIzu story - and this time it involves the happy couple receiving tragic news which lead to them getting custody of their niece. I originally started this before "Velvet Valentines" and "The Dress and the Big Day", but I lacked more inspiration to expand this. And here it is now. :D**

 **In honesty, this isn't pairing based as I originally thought it would be. It's more family-oriented, including SasuSaku, as well as emotional character death without anything being overtly done. However, the warning stands when I say grab the tissue box if anyone is going to cry.**

 **Disclaimer: nothing of Naruto or the characters belong to me. And the oneshot's title has been used numerous times before in different fandom fics, but it's for very symbolic reasons.**

He used to say his brother was reckless. Reckless and foolish.

Sasuke joined the army when he had just turned eighteen years old and finished high school, but not before marrying his childhood sweetheart that was attended only by his parents, her parents, their friends - and of course, his big brother - in a small ceremony in the community chapel. It was sweet and simple, the bride in a short white dress covered with vibrant rainbow blossoms, and the couple seemed to be in love...but underneath the surface was something much deeper. Sasuke wanted to come home to a wife rather than just a girlfriend or a fiancée, and Sakura seemed to want the same thing, so that was why she said yes and accepted that simple gold band on her finger. A symbol of eternal love, with no need to show off.

Itachi said that his brother was rushing just as he was making the rash decision to go into the army, just as their mother was worried as much. He considered telling Sakura the same thing, but she appeared to really be in love with his brother that she didn't want to miss out on the one important thing in life between them, in case he died in a war overseas.

He supported Sasuke all their lives when his brother could never match up to his level, and it made the younger so angry that he chose to rebel as payback. In the elder's mind, it was as he said because there was no mistaking the jealousy as Sasuke watched his big brother on the pedestal labeled "Father's favorite". Here he was, on the chairman seat of the family consulting agency, two years after Sasuke joined the services, and on this day he came home. It was going to be the first time Sakura would see her husband again, having been in undergraduate school for her MD.

It was around this time that Itachi reconnected with his childhood sweetheart, Izumi, whose mother was an Uchiha but her father not. She was a photographer for wildlife awareness, his business' charities and promotions as well as fashion magazines all around. She was one of the best. Izumi was independent and spirited, and a classmate in childhood who became one of the few true friends he had.

When he met up with her again just before Sasuke came home until his next deployment, Itachi's heart constricted as the little girl he remembered was the most beautiful woman he had seen. He thought that he may have found his own Sakura in her.

Days later, his little brother came home and to his wife who was so far doing well in school, was getting an internship very soon. It was then that he met with Izumi by the time his elder brother was reconnecting with his friend from childhood. She was kind to Sasuke, although his _otouto_ wasn't the best people person you would meet. This hurt Izumi's feelings and earned a slap to the face from Sakura to be nice.

Sasuke would be home for awhile before he would be on orders to leave again. In the meantime, he and Sakura would deliver the best news in the world at the same time Itachi and Izumi officially reestablished their relationship when he gave her a necklace that was rare as this kind of love: a violet-blue tanzanite so natural it could have come from its volcanic site of Kilimanjaro.

Sasuke and Sakura were expecting their first child together, due at least by the end of the coming March, after his sister-in-law's birthday.

Itachi was excited to become an uncle. He was going to spoil his niece or nephew rotten if it was the last thing. Izumi was excited as much as he was. His parents and Sakura's, as well as Naruto, Hinata and their friends gathered for the baby shower that was thrown. Itachi didn't know what the gender would be - in fact, Sasuke and his wife would keep the secret until the due date, even if they did agree to an ultrasound - but his gift was a beautiful Russian egg on a stand: gold with blue enameled accents and crystals of the same color. When you opened it, there was the little clock ticking because time never stopped. Above it was a pearl, the hidden jewel of purity. Izumi joked that he was going a bit overboard, but so had she with the picture frame that she'd said would be the baby's first picture. It was made of textured pewter graced all over with gold metal sakura blossoms.

It seemed that the happy couple thought the picture frame and the clock were the best altogether in unison. Everything else was required of a new baby arriving, but this was the least Itachi could have done, and Izumi really was trying to earn Sasuke's respect.

However, there was another issue. Sakura was still in school, Sasuke was often away overseas, so there was a dilemma as to who would care for the child, since Sakura had no intention of giving up her dream career. And not all the reception received was positive: some said they were rushing with having a child so soon, but it wasn't like she and her husband were _trying_ to have a baby so fast! The response to that was she could have used protection and contraceptives, or at least to have him pull out before release.

Itachi could not have been more furious at those who spoke of his family in that manner. He took matters into his own hands and warned if they said one more wrongful phrase, they would be ruined for scandalous talk.

Sasuke was just as livid when he heard the talk, and he was close to using violence as backlash before big brother stepped in.

Eventually, the child came at the end of March, following the mother's birthday. It was a beautiful, dark-haired, and dark-eyed baby girl whom the parents named Sarada.

When Itachi laid his eyes on her, let his finger be taken into her small, firm hand, his heart had been stolen.

Izumi couldn't stop crying and fawning over the newborn.

Mikoto had to get so many tissues for herself and Izumi.

Even stern Fugaku managed a smile of his own at his first granddaughter - then turned to Itachi and reminded him that if he hurried up himself, he would be in this same position.

Sakura's parents declared war - in a playful and loving way - over who the best grandparents would be. It was a hell of a day as far as Itachi was concerned. The little girl started the game of tug-a-war between the two families, but they were together because of her. Life seemed so well when she came in.

It seemed that he and Izumi grew closer due to the child. And it was said when you were getting back into a relationship from younger days or were beginning a new one, you focused solely on each other, although it was natural she initiated that he see his niece as often as he would. And she would be there with him when he would bring Sarada a new gift, which earned a scowl from Sasuke as well as "You're spoiling my daughter more than she should be."

The elder brother chuckled. "She's my niece. I love spoiling her, as you put it, _otouto._ " And that was the last time he would see his younger brother.

Two months after Sarada's birth, her father was ordered to leave once again for Kumo - and that was the final time he left home, but not in the positive manner you wished for.

~o~

Sasuke's name was among the list of the dead when it came in seven months later. By this time, Sarada was nine months old, and her mother was about to start her real school time at the emergency room. The baby would be in the care of each of her grandparents during the day, back and forth, and Itachi sometimes wished he'd worked his schedule to take her in while her mother was working for them both. Sakura deserved a future whilst making sure her daughter had one.

Itachi felt something collapse inside himself when he numbly reread his brother's name among the dead, over and over again, until it became a blur, and Izumi took it from him to look, bottom lip chewed on as she fought not to cry. Mikoto was utterly devastated that she fell into her husband's arms, unable to control her sobs.

Naruto's pain over losing his best friend was equally devastating as said friend's mother. His Hyuuga girlfriend's comfort only did so much. And while half his friends mourned Sasuke with him, a handful didn't like his guts and simply tolerated for Naruto's sake.

Fugaku displayed grief at the funeral, though his face was in the tightest of lines. And without a fight, he agreed to a cremation which was what they decided Sasuke would have wanted instead of rotting in the ground.

The other whose suffering matched Itachi's level was the grieving widow herself, clutching onto their baby girl who would grow up never knowing her father. Sakura could have taken the ashes if she wanted to, but she let her brother-in-law, Itachi, be the one to take his brother's urn because Sasuke left something to her if something happened to him, to give to Sarada. He'd sent it to her personally, and if something happened to her, too, their daughter would receive it when she was older. It was something very small, but precious to pass on. He had his glimpse of it around her neck at the funeral, then looked at her face which was slightly pink from wiping away the tears, her green eyes dark and muddied like the earth after the rainfall.

At the service were flowers that were warm and celebrating; Izumi and Mikoto chose them together, and Sakura as well as her friend Ino made the arrangements by hand. There were pink stargazer lilies, lavender roses, yellow snapdragons, peach daisies, bells of Ireland, eucalyptus and lemon leaves.

Sasuke Uchiha died a hero in service to his country - but his decision to enter in the first place got him killed.

Only his _aniki_ knew that. When he told Izumi this in private, she simply insisted he not beat himself up. "He chose this path on his own," she said tenderly. "It wasn't his fault that he thought himself inferior. And as his brother, you did the best you could. He wouldn't have wanted anyone to succumb to guilt because of a choice he made."

 _But our father is the one who drove him. And I let it happen. I thought that I could just let him find his own way, but his choices and emotions led him to the way he is now. It's too late to change anything._

What was worse: Sasuke knew he would end up depriving his young daughter of her father, and leaving a gift was inexcusable as far as Itachi was concerned. A small part of him felt that he would be away from home to avoid burdening those he loved with his presence. Sasuke thought his life was hard enough because he lost his older brother whom he was close to in childhood.

He would never understand Itachi shouldered everything himself and just let the spotlight remain on him.

Sakura sat down when he told her everything. She continued weeping when he was finished. The baby was asleep the entire time, but eventually she was awoken by her mother and started crying with her. His sister-in-law was in uncontrollable mourning because she loved him so much. She put up with him being away from home for the longest time, and receiving his benefits as widow would do little good to soothe her internal injuries. Itachi tried his best to console her, but to minimal avail.

He found himself looking down at the precious life in her arms, the one who needed her mother more than ever, but by the looks of it, Sakura would need more than just familial love and giving it to her baby daughter who was still too young to understand these things. He quickly took the little girl from her grieving mother, which left Izumi to console her as he rocked Sarada in his arms.

Her slight resemblance to her father made him swear that he would do everything in his power to protect and love her, to make her feel accepted and seek who she was without feeling obligated. She deserved better than what her father endured.

The years went by after Sasuke's death. He was still missed, and every side had a fifty-fifty improvement as well as the opposite. Naruto married Hinata and had two children, including a son who was the same age as Sarada and born some time after her. Their friends followed afterwards.

Itachi, however, remained a bachelor, with the business and all, but there was also Izumi. Let's just say they took their time before he finally asked her to marry him around the time Sarada turned eight years old. He proposed to her at Thanksgiving that year, with a ring that represented absolute commitment, with the two diamonds on the swirling gold vine. _When two become one._

At this time, his niece had become a comely little lady, with the eyes of her father, her hair below her ears, but she had to wear glasses due to a strange case of poor eyesight. She also had her mother's temper if someone said the wrong thing to her or about her. Still, she was the most precious thing in Itachi's life. And Izumi loved to spoil the little girl, too. The child's mother sometimes teased them both for spoiling her daughter more than she should be. _Just like her husband used to say._

Speaking of Sakura, for awhile after her husband and father of her child died, she was in immense emotional and psychological trouble that she had to be in therapy, in the institution for two weeks because the love of her life was taken from her. Sasuke's death affected her worse than it did to Naruto.

But Itachi's guilt cut through him worst simply because that was his brother. It subsided as the years went by, and talking about him to Sarada was a coping mechanism.

Fugaku passed on when she was five years old from a heart attack. Too many family members were happening in the Uchiha family, in such a short amount of time as far as he was concerned. And on Izumi's behalf, her mother also gave in to pancreatic cancer after a two-year battle. Which meant that she hadn't been there when Itachi asked her daughter to marry him, when she should have deserved the honor.

On New Year's Day, tragedy struck once more in the form of the only parent Sarada had left. It was the last of latest that struck Itachi and the rest of the family.

Happiness existed only to not last, continuing in an endless cycle of life and death.

~o~

What remained in the Uchiha family via blood, direct and indirect: his mother, Izumi, Sarada and himself.

Which meant that it was clear who got custody of the little girl after her mother was killed. It was New Year's Day, and the snow had left ice on the roads. Sakura's car had been one of those in the unexpected wreckage; she even died before help could arrive. As long as he'd known her, she was never a reckless or careless driver, so someone else was likely responsible.

He was in the office when he got the call from Izumi, who had been the one to pick Sarada up from school and bring her home. She said that the coroner's office had the body for them to identify, so he rushed immediately to meet with her during the day, and that was when they were presented with the sight of her ashen-gray - an unpleasant contrast to her pastel hair. There was also a bruise forming within her neck, telling them it was broken.

Her broken parents held onto each other as they fell together to the ground beside the table their daughter's corpse rested.

That was also when he was given the piece that she'd always worn since Sasuke died...but it was all too soon, as far as he was concerned. Itachi held it in his hands while Mebuki and Kizashi lamented and his fiancée regarded it sadly, taking pictures as part of her job this time for the coroner. The chain had a little bottle of gold, and inside was a written message that was specially for her - and for Sakura - because her father had loved them and wanted to leave something that really mattered. He took the little scroll out, and written inside was this:

 **私はここにいないかもしれませんが、私はあなたを愛し、いつもあなたと一緒です**

 _I may not be here, but I love you and am always with you._

"Thank you, Mr. Uchiha, but you can leave if you wish," the coroner told him, bringing him back to the present. He sighed and had to agree.

"I will." With that, he leaned to kiss Izumi before he took off to return to the office. _With Sakura gone, that leaves us having custody of Sarada, because while Mebuki and Kizashi could do the job, it's likely they won't live for too long before she turns eighteen. I need to tell Mother soon._

And when he did, phoning her as soon as he was back in the office, her devastated tears were unbreakable. She'd lost her husband and youngest son, now her daughter-in-law. "Mother," he said when she calmed down, "you can get a hold of the social services to discuss Sarada's future. Izumi is picking her up later. Someone has to tell her..."

Mikoto agreed wearily, knowing that the little girl would close herself off in her room for days on end as soon as she would learn that her mother was gone forever. She'd done the same thing when her grandfather passed, though not for the father who was gone months after her birth.

The day ended, sun going down, when he finally went home, and his fiancée had brought _their_ niece home. "She's in her room," Izumi said, her eyes darkened with sadness. "She's taking it very hard. And your mother is on her way." He nodded, going into the direction of Sarada's room, where she would usually stay when she'd visit for weekends. Now it might become hers for good. He approached the door, hand in pocket - the pocket that had the necklace he was going to give her. He knocked a couple times, getting a wailing shout.

"Go away!"

Itachi exhaled and pushed himself in. "Sara-chan -"

She interrupted him, looking up and glaring at him. Her face was red and puffed up from crying. Her glasses were put on the bedside table. But instead of using words, she just huffed and slammed her face back into her pillow. With another sigh, Itachi walked into the room and sat down on the foot of the bed. Saying he was sorry wouldn't work, he was certain. He settled on making the bold move of picking her up by the waist and pulling her body to his. Her head bumped into his shoulder. She whimpered, hiccupped and slapped her palms flat against his chest, but she relented and just limped against him.

"Mama isn't coming back," was all she could say. "I'm afraid. I can't live without her!" She burst out crying again, subsiding into hysterical, breathless sobs. "Am I going to...live with you now, Uncle Itachi?"

He gave a small smile even though she didn't see him. "That's right. Aunt Izumi, Grandma and I are going to take care of you. And your other grandparents are still going to be there. We'll miss Mama as much as you do."

"Just like when Papa died after I was born?" He closed his eyes at the mention of Sasuke, but he nodded and laid a palm flat on her lower back as soon as she calmed down.

"Just like Papa." He let her go to look into her dark eyes surrounded by puffy red. "So, Grandma is coming here to see us all. How about tomorrow, when you get back from school, we'll treat you to dango, and then we get to bringing your stuff here?" he offered, and a little spark appeared in those wide eyes. Thinking about anything sweet when she just lost her mother must have made her feel better a little, and it was mild compared to taking her to a movie which was too big a step.

Sarada leaned up to kiss him on the cheek. "Th-thanks, Uncle." It was then that he heard the sound of his fiancée's voice that made him curse himself for forgetting.

"Did you give it to her, Itachi?"

He almost said the curse out loud in front of their niece: _damn it, I forgot._ "I just remembered. Sarada, your father gave this to your mother, and they both wanted you to have this." He reached into his pocket to take out the little bottle on a chain, containing the message on the little scroll which he took out. She leaned over his shoulder. She was still learning to read, but she did get a few parts, frowning when she didn't know what the entire thing said. Chuckling in a strain, Itachi read it aloud, and that brought forth another floodgate.

Izumi quickly rushed forward into the room, taking them into a group hug. It was going to be hard for a while for all of them, with too many losses in the last eight years, and recently being Sarada's mother, but they still had each other.

 **In "The Dress and the Big Day", Izumi is a professional photographer, though not a lot is elaborated on. This isn't related to that story, but just her career which I thought fit her somehow in modern times.**

 **This has been so hard to write. It's a oneshot, but also meant to connect with anyone who lost a loved one either recently or a long time ago. :'( I was barely nine when my grandfather died of a heart attack in his sleep sixteen years ago.**

 **Reviews appreciated.**


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